Two Unrelated Plays by David MametKirk Douglas Theater (9820 Washington Blvd. Culver City CA 90232)
The one-act play "The Duck Variations" was written by David Mamet in 1972. The one-act play "Keep Your Pantheon" is a new work of David Mamet. This theatrical run is its world premiere.
Date of reviewed performance: June 7, 2008
Cast - The Duck Variations
Emil Varec - Harold Gould
George S. Aronovitz - Michael Lerner
Cast - Keep Your Pantheon
Strabo - Ed O'Neill
Pelargon - David Paymer
Philius - Michael Cassidy
Ramus - Jack Wallace
Titus - J.J. Johnston
Lupus Albus Secundus - Dominic Hoffman
Quintus Magnus - Steven Goldstein
Herald - Vincent Guastaferro
DUCK VARIATIONS
This is a one-act that Mamet wrote in 1972. It features a couple of slightly crothety, but mostly vaguely confused senior citizens, played here by Harold Gould and Michael Lerner. If you can imagine Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon sitting on a park bench talking about ducks for an hour, then you have a pretty good idea of what is presented in this one act. It's presented as a series of short scenes that fade to black periodically just long enough for the actors to reset themselves on the lonely bench as if it were another day. Lerner is very animated in his antagonistic character, finding a way to argue a point for the sake of argument or tell an entirely fictional story as if it is not only fact, but the most insidious fact he's ever heard. Gould is bumbling and charming in his role, but he did lose his lines at least once, causing a strange awkwardness in pausing (not seen since Harold Pinter) and resulting Lerner to jump lines in an attempt to save him at least once. The writing really isn't Mamet's best, the observations on ducks are supposed to be layered with subtext on the human condition, but there's nothing subtle or jarring about the conclusion they come to. Because of this, the scenes become more and more tedious as the act progresses. Overall, it was a perfectly acceptable production of a perfectly acceptable one-act - but it was nothing new or special.
KEEP YOUR PANTHEON
This one-act opens with Ed O'Neill's Strabo breaking the silence with the cry "Where is my codpiece?!" That pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the hour. Strabo is the head of a struggling company of actors in ancient Rome, who have not worked in (probably) years. Their days consist of finding ways to avoid their landlord and other creditors. David Paymer is Strabo's much put upon roommate and ersatz partner. Their lack of work does not stop the young Philius' father from sending him to the men with money for acting lessons. He has no talent, but he's a sexy young thing and that keeps Strabo's interest. Strabo's attempts at bedding Philius become diverted only when news comes that Caesar's favorite acting company has drowned at sea and the ruler now needs a company to entertain a feast at the last minute. Bad directions cause the three would-be actors to stumble into enemy territory and they find themselves suddenly in the roles of their lives - literally.
The actors are all first-rate, particularly Michael Cassidy who is suprisingly hilarious in the role of Philius. The set pieces (which include a set of revolving double doors, a housing backdrop and Roman columns) are really impressive, particularly for a short-run one act. The supporting cast is also made up of notables one would recognize from film roles, which just goes to show you the amount of gravity actors place on works (particularly new ones) of Mament. Pantheon is far more enjoyable than Ducks - bawdy humor, bawdy props and Ed O'Neill tugging modestly at his toga is an entertaining way to spend an hour. It is politically charged without taking itself seriously at all, which is the thing we all love about David Mamet.
As a curious side note: This run of unrelated one-acts was originally supposed to be the world premiere of a new (and first) David Mamet musical called "A Waitress in Yellowstone." For reasons I have not been able to find out, about a month before the show was supposed to premiere ticket holders received a letter saying that the musical was being swapped out for these two one-acts instead. No reason was given why. It makes you wonder whether the musical was a complete fiasco or if there was some sort of creative reason why Mamet no longer wanted to premiere it here. If anyone has heard any rumors, I'm dying to know...
Duck Variations:
Keep Your Pantheon: 
